Badger

Fairs Cup 1969. A forerunner to the UEFA Cup.

For the simplistic amongst us, me included, can you please confirm MLG, would we have been the same numbered ball in the draw today as Sunderland were ?

Is this a David Icke theory ?

Yes of course he will. And we'll all live happily ever after. (For those old enough to remember it).

Thought it was something off a French restaurant menu

Boruc ill ? FFS this is a new excuse suddenly dredged up. Presumably the Official Site will reveal all. Wonder what they'll come up with. Period pains ?

But its not just team selection, or just motivation is it ? It's his entire demeanour and approach to it. Can't be bothered with the interviews or getting into the pre-match build up, although he is not alone here now of course. During most league matches he is in the technical area, on the touchline, fairly animated on occasion. At the Burnley game I even asked my son if MP was sat there (his eyesight being better than mine). Yesterday I read both he and assistant sit slumped in their seats. Presume he watched the match rather than bringing a book with him. What backlash ? Booing at the end ? water off duck's backs I should think. They're probably oblivious to it, unless they are scrutinising the anguish on the internet.

Agree bad performance, and they should have had it in them to play better. Not a wonder goal from our angle, it was a p!ss poor defensive comedy of errors that gave him the chance, Yoshida's feeble pass, Hoiveld weak clearance, Wanyama's 'phantom' block on the bloke. Yes, Lambert should have equalised, but he has a fair bit 'in credit' to spare him the flak others get, Yoshida and Jos in particular are a liability. VW is coming back from injury so might be rusty but CM should have contained JC or MS.

Could hardly say otherwise after the obvious joy it brought to Marcus Liebherr.

Yes, I've made that point a couple of times but lost on the ' sky/x-factor generation ' as several have termed them.

But what is "our size" ? Is it the size that we all believe it to be historically, perhaps with a moderate uplift thanks to the Liebherr input , or is it the club of Cortese dreamland ? Personally I think 6 - 10th in the Premiership is probably our realistic potential "weight", so Norwich ( one League Cup), Coventry (one FA Cup), Forest (no need to list them), Leicester ( a couple of League Cups I think). 27 top flight years - no trophies (excl the Daily Express 5-a-side) is not an impressive return, although a number of those years were of course tremendous achievements just staying where we were. Just simply does not register on the honours board. Things are different now - stadium no longer the limiting factor, resources etc.Need to add to the honours.

Of course. How remiss of me to overlook that possibility.

Until he delivers a trophy, he will remain in Lawrie MacMenemy's shadow.

No, it will just reinforce what a bloody wasted opportunity it was.

No - as the season stood at the time. I think promotion was always a longshot, not only due to - 10 pts, but the time needed for Pardew to sort the squad. Pardew did make a valuable point about getting back a winning mentality. I made the point on another thread that nothing breeds success like momentum from success, (probably more useful than CEO DVD's in "selling the vision.." , or something of substance to add to them.)

as opposed to today's result which just drains fans - and possibly players - interest and enthusiasm.

It is . And yet winning the JPT will in later life probably be more memorable for more people. "What did you do the year we finished eighth Grandad ?" I hear them asking in decades to come.

We are safe ffs. As FF points out, 1 FA Cup in 128 years. Something worth addressing. Seems perverse and ill founded logic to me, not to want to win the greatest domestic cup competition going, especially for a young manager to enhance his CV.

...and on Cup Final day ? especially if we see Everton, Swansea or someone win it.

Ditto (to the nth degree).

A manager and people who have fallen into the ambition ( hazy fantasy) talked of to the press by NC.

Adam's not bothered about not making cup finals, and winning medals with Saints then ?

I'd like to agree with you in many ways but today does detract from it in my eyes. This was a golden opportunity to progress, possibly a Wembley appearance, even a trophy at the end of it. To disregard it in such fashion is appalling. Nothing builds success more than momentum built on success. The conundrum is really, yes we want to keep him, keep the team intact, but for what ? Realistically we want top half finishes, and cup runs, cup trophies. But we had the opportunity this year and threw it away. The style of football - 1st XI permitting in the league- is far better under MP than in 2003 , but WGS managed 8th place and a Cup Final.

Although a rather hollow one perhaps.

That's the next three months mapped out now though isn't it ? A point lost on the decision maker today, is that a cup bring, although it can be a distraction builds momentum, excitement and a buzz around the club which can be taken into league matches. Gates increase etc etc. I think many remembering 1984 will agree that the league, even though we finished as runners up, was a little hollow after the semi-final defeat.